Chassis Number: 8487
With its bodywork designed and built by Pininfarina, the 330 GT 2+2 Series I differed greatly from the preceding 250 GTE and the interim 330 America, as it was fitted with an unusual four-headlamp nose. The second-generation 330 GT 2+2, later dubbed the Series II, was introduced halfway through the 1965 model year. Its most noticeable change over the first generation was the replacement of the car’s quad headlights with a more-subtle dual-headlight treatment, while a proper 5-speed gearbox replaced the previous model’s 4-speed with overdrive.
Completed on May 9, 1966, chassis 8487 left Maranello finished in Grigio Fumo over Nero Franzi leather trim. One of just 424 left-hand-drive Series II examples constructed, the car was factory equipped with Borrani wire wheels, power windows, and instruments in kilometers. Mere weeks after its completion, the car was sold to its first owner, Giancarlo Alessi of Trieste, Italy, on the northern shores of the Adriatic Sea. As documented in a history report from Marcel Massini, chassis 8487 would remain in Italy well into the 1970s before being exported to the United States by Milan-based dealer Dino Armando Genghini.
After arriving in North America, the car would pass through several caretakers before undergoing a full, bare-metal restoration in 2007. Numerous photographs document the painstaking rehabilitation process, which included a complete disassembly of the body to ensure laser-straight panels before applying a fresh coat of factory-correct Grigio Fumo paint. Beige leather was chosen for the interior, and the car’s matching-numbers 4.0-liter V12 engine was completely rebuilt.
Sporting an exhilarating blend of Italian style, luxury and power, the 330 GT 2+2 stands as a more practical alternative to the heady race-bred Ferraris of its time, offering similar driving drama and exhilaration in a package ideal for daily jaunts in town or long trips on the open road. This impressive example, with its understatedly handsome color combination and matching-numbers engine and gearbox, is an excellent candidate for both touring or showing.
